First Time Chicken Owner - Very First Egg!

[EHaag]

Hello all!

I have a forum that explains the story of our sweet rescue chicken and this will include her new flock of friends we recently adopted.The link is here: Mabel's Story

The exciting news is that we got our very first egg today!

We adopted 3 one-year-old chickens from a local suburban farmer (we are urban farmers, in the city of Cleveland, OH).

Our hens & their temporary names (may change due to personality traits) :
Black Ameraucana - Darla (she is LOUD and mouthy)
Salmon Faverolle - Tiny/Peso (she is molting and has a tiny butt)
Barred Rock - Fritter/Goose (although I don't think either are fitting...)
Easter Egger - Mabel (stray/rescue chicken - this name is permanent!)

And here is Darla's blue egg! Our very first egg as chicken owners! We are very excited and proud of Darla. She made sure to scream to let us and the other chickens know that it was egg laying time. (The brown egg was a decoy egg to help them identify where the nesting box was).

Really happy to be able to care for and love these chickens as pets, family, and egg producers!

Sincerely,
Ellen, Jim, & Mabel's House of Hens

 

[3KillerBs]

Hurray for a first egg!

 

[Sally PB]

Congratulations! First eggs are magical.

 

[RebelEgger]

Congrats to you and your egg laying lady!!!

 

[BarredRockMom]

Congratulations to the first hen to lay an egg! That's outstanding & I hope that the others will begin laying soon, too.

I happened to notice what looks like a zip tie around your Barred Rock hen's leg. I'm bringing this up for two reasons: 1) It looks tight & 2) I can't imagine a reason to band your birds, especially since you only have 4.

You didn't ask so feel free to tell me to mind my own business when I suggest that perhaps you might consider removing such things from their legs? A nice pair of wire snips should do it...

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Hello all!

I have a forum that explains the story of our sweet rescue chicken and this will include her new flock of friends we recently adopted.The link is here: Mabel's Story

The exciting news is that we got our very first egg today!

We adopted 3 one-year-old chickens from a local suburban farmer (we are urban farmers, in the city of Cleveland, OH).

Our hens & their temporary names (may change due to personality traits) :
Black Ameraucana - Darla (she is LOUD and mouthy)
Salmon Faverolle - Tiny/Peso (she is molting and has a tiny butt)
Barred Rock - Fritter/Goose (although I don't think either are fitting...)
Easter Egger - Mabel (stray/rescue chicken - this name is permanent!)

View attachment 2481560

And here is Darla's blue egg! Our very first egg as chicken owners! We are very excited and proud of Darla. She made sure to scream to let us and the other chickens know that it was egg laying time. (The brown egg was a decoy egg to help them identify where the nesting box was).
View attachment 2481563

Really happy to be able to care for and love these chickens as pets, family, and egg producers!

Sincerely,
Ellen, Jim, & Mabel's House of Hens

Got my first egg today too from my BO, it's so exciting! Congrats

 

[EHaag]

Congratulations to the first hen to lay an egg! That's outstanding & I hope that the others will begin laying soon, too.

I happened to notice what looks like a zip tie around your Barred Rock hen's leg. I'm bringing this up for two reasons: 1) It looks tight & 2) I can't imagine a reason to band your birds, especially since you only have 4.

You didn't ask so feel free to tell me to mind my own business when I suggest that perhaps you might consider removing such things from their legs? A nice pair of wire snips should do it...

I want to remove them but they are still a little afraid of me! Im trying to earn their trust. They were on the three chickens I purchased from someone else but have every intent of removing them.

 

[Sycamore Hill Chicks]

Congrats!

 

[Sycamore Hill Chicks]

I want to remove them but they are still a little afraid of me! Im trying to earn their trust. They were on the three chickens I purchased from someone else but have every intent of removing them.

Treats will help get them comfortable with you

 

[BarredRockMom]

Oh yes, TREATS!! I say the same things each time to my girls & it's to the point where they're climbing over themselves to get to me first!
"Oh girls....I've got something good for yoooooou."
or "Who wants a treat?"
And if I can say those things & rattle a water bottle of tasty live bugs, a bag of mealworms or sunflower seeds or wave a paper towel in my hand.... IT'S ON!!

This works amazingly well when they're out foraging (always supervised) & they decide that "no thank you, we will not go home. In fact, we will stop hearing you ask us & resist being shepherded in that direction.". A rattled bag of treats turns me into the Pied Piper. (But I never dangle the carrot without the reward, as I want to reinforce "this means food.") Works like a charm, even on the leader of the rebellion. She can't stand the thought of anyone getting treats that she won't get & heaven forbid someone should get one mouthful more!!

That will help to get them acclimated to you. Unfortunately, in order to get the nonsense off of their legs, you may have to take each one off of the perch at night, bring her inside where you have light to work & snip it off. Be sure to talk to each hen to let her know that it's ok, she'll be fine, what you're going to do & that she's all fixed up. At the end, praise everyone for being so good & thank them for letting you help them.

I say this because while some feel it's crazy, I believe that they DO understand, they will be afraid and that any comfort and encouragement that you can offer them will go a long way toward cementing the bond between you.

No creature who uses 100% of their brain would call another creature who didn't "stupid." Yet mankind does it ALL THE TIME. I'd take a "stupid" chicken over a "smart" human ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!"